In this Tour Tips segment, the indie rock band, I the Mighty, give you their tips for being on tour. You can check out...

In this Tour Tips segment, the indie rock band, I the Mighty, give you their tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

1. DON’T DRIVE TIRED – We usually try to keep our driving shifts to 2 hours to keep everyone fresh. But if you drive 10 minutes even and start getting sleepy (like I frequently do), pull off and sleep or let someone else that’s well-rested takeover. It’s not worth risking you, your bandmates/crew or other drivers lives just to “power through” a drive.

2. PLAN FUN THINGS ON OFF-DAYS – Sometimes you have to spend your off-days driving a long distance. But whenever possible, take time on tour to do something fun where you can decompress from the rigors of tour. It rejuvenates you and resets your mind. It can also help your band morale, which is an important part of keeping each other happy on the road.

3. ENJOY GOOD FOOD – One of the best non-music aspects of touring is getting to visit so many new places and try their cuisine. There’s so much delicious food out in the world, we can only hope to try it all. One suggestion: try Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ in Kansas City. It’s an ITM staple.

4. KEEP THE VAN CLEAN/FRESH – We learned a good tip from our friends in letlive. on this one…dryer sheets. Stuff them in the air conditioning/heating vents and your van will smell fresh and clean. Well, as fresh and clean as it can… (Bonus fresh tip) THE COLLAR SPRAY – this one comes from our tour manager Bear. He opines that if one sprays the inside of their shirt collar with a nice cologne, you can pull that collar over your face and inhale deeply when bad smells start to permeate the van. It’s a life saver.

5. TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF – Life on the road can get chaotic with all the constant social interaction. Make sure to take time for yourself to unwind and don’t let small problems or issues linger. Find time to talk about things that may be bothering you so that nothing becomes too big a problem to fix.